Africa Access Review

Africa Access Review provides descriptions and reviews of children’s and young adult books on Africa. Our network of reviewers includes scholars, librarians, and teachers most of whom have lived in Africa and have graduate degrees in African Studies. Use the search box to find reviews published since March 2014. Please visit archives.africaaccessreview.org to access the complete database of reviews and annotations–and to search, sort, and print lists by author, title, publisher, subject, etc.

Title: When Morning Comes Author: Arushi Raina Genre: Fiction / YA Release Date: 2016-05 Pages: 210 When Morning Comes is written from the points-of-view of four young people living in Johannesburg and its black township, Soweto in 1976. Through the eyes of Zanele, a black female student organiser, Mina, of South Asian background working at…

Title: Olokun of the Galaxy Author: Esther Iverem Publisher: Seeing Black Press Release Date: 2017 Pages: Unpaged Olokun of the Galaxy” is a poetry and visual arts book that tells the story of an African spirit of the deepest ocean. Olokun is born when Earth’s oceans are born, s/he witnesses the Atlantic Slave Trade, industrial…

Title: Kaleidoscope Song Author: Fox Benwell Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction Publisher: Simon and Schuster Release Date: September 19, 2017 Pages: 416 In Khayelitsha, South Africa, Neo’s passion for music leads her to her first love–Tale, the female lead singer of a local band–and an internship at the local radio station, and both experiences teach Neo about…

Title: Leopard at the Door Author: Jennifer McVeigh Genre: Fiction Publisher: Penguin Release Date: January 3, 2017 Pages: 400 Set in Kenya in the 1950s against the fading backdrop of the British Empire, a story of self-discovery [and] betrayal… After six years in England, Rachel has returned to Kenya and the farm where she spent…

Title: Behold the Dreamers Author: Imbolo Mbue Genre: Fiction / New Adult Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks Release Date: June 26, 2017 Pages: 416 A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream–the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York…

Title: The Wooden Camel Author: Wanuri Kahiu and Manuela Adreani (illus) Genre: Picture book Publisher: Lantana Release Date: 2017 Format: Hardback Pages: Unpaged Source: 978 1 911373 12 4 Etabo dreams of being a camel racer. One day he might even beat his older brother when they race. But with the price of water rising,…

Title: One Shadow on the Wall Author: Leah Henderson Genre: Juvenile Fiction Publisher: Simon and Schuster Release Date: June 6, 2017 Pages: 448 In Senegal, eleven-year-old orphan Mor has three months to prove to his aunt that he can support himself and his two younger sisters, allowing them to stay together in their village and…

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Africa Access Review provides annotations and scholarly reviews of children’s and young adult books that focus on Africa. More than 100 African Studies scholars are members of our review team.

Children’s Africana Book Awards
Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association give annual awards for the best children’s and young adult books on Africa available for purchase in the US. More than 90 awards have been presented to authors and illustrators.